Grealish can relate to Messi's teary goodbye
English football's £100 million (S$188m) man Jack Grealish knows how Lionel Messi feels after saying his own tearful farewell to Aston Villa.
Argentinian superstar Messi shed tears as he confirmed his departure from boyhood club Barcelona last Sunday ahead of his move to Paris Saint-Germain yesterday and Grealish, Manchester City's record signing but a lifelong Villa fan, told reporters he could relate to that.
"Everyone has seen the way Messi was at his final press conference," said Grealish, who signed a six-year contract with City and has been assigned the No. 10 shirt previously worn by all-time top scorer Sergio Aguero.
"That is the exact way I felt myself. Actually, before I left at the hotel, I spoke to the team and the staff and the players and, yeah, you know, I teared up a bit myself."
Grealish, a Villa season ticket holder since the age of four, said leaving was one of the toughest decisions he had ever made but he could not turn down the opportunity to play at the top.
The 25-year-old midfielder explained that he had joined the English Premier League champions to win trophies and cement his position with England.
"I've always said how much I wanted to play Champions League football and I couldn't do that at Villa this year," he said. - REUTERS
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